


Bring Me Down With You

by Blanc_et_Noir



Series: Dream SMP BS [6]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bows & Arrows, Caring, Caves, Compromise, Deals, Dream Smp, Dream is being an idiot again, Duelling, Family, Fluff, Gen, Graphic Description, Healing, Injury, L'manberg War, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minecraft but IRL, Pain, Poison, Poisoning, Potions, Sick Character, Sick Fic, Whump, Wounds, feverish, puking, self-sacrificing idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27132946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blanc_et_Noir/pseuds/Blanc_et_Noir
Summary: The terms of the deal were simple. They’d both be at their weakest, no armor and no anything and they have to shoot one shot. A single arrow. Whoever is hit, will have to resign and give the win to whoever is left standing. Those were the terms.So when did they agree to drink poison?--------------------Set during the Dream SMP war.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), No Romantic Relationship(s), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: Dream SMP BS [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974895
Comments: 24
Kudos: 592





	1. Poisoned Hearts

The terms of the deal were simple. They’d both be at their weakest, no armor and no anything and they have to shoot  _ one  _ shot. A single arrow. Whoever is hit, will have to resign and give the win to whoever is left standing. Those were the terms.

_ So when did they agree to drink poison? _

Tommy already felt sick at the stomach just looking at the glass bottle, the sickly green liquid inside sloshing around. Tommy shivered and turned away, breathing deeply. Beside him, Dream stood silently as he faced the same bottle that was being presented to him. His porcelain mask hid his reaction but the hesitation in his movements was enough of a tell for Tommy to know that even he was nervous. 

The potion was brewed in front of both parties by a member who remained neutral. Thus, they had asked Bad to brew it and despite his disappointed looks, he had agreed. So there they were, being presented with identical sickly green potions ready to be taken.

Tommy swallowed as he reached out with a shaky hand. Before he could wrap his fingers around the long neck of the potion bottle, a hand rested itself on his shoulder. He whipped his head back to look up at the somber face of Wilbur. 

“Tommy, you- you don’t have to do this.” Wilbur whispered, his voice low and deep. It sounded heavy with grief and acceptance, “We can’t really ask that much from you.”

“No, Wilbur- we- I already agreed to this.” Tommy nodded, straightening out as he strengthened his resolve. He turned back and took the bottle, bringing it close. “This is our only way of getting L’manberg.”

“If that’s… if that’s what you want.” Wilbur crouched down, pulling Tommy into a hug and squeezing him tightly. “Please be careful, we cannot  _ lose  _ you.”

“I will, don’t worry, Big Man.” Tommy chuckled, trying to chase away his fears with humor. “We’ll be gaining something else instead.”

“Go get him, then Tommy.” Wilbur smiled, patting Tommy’s head as he moved backwards. 

He had never agreed to this duel, he had already feared for Tommy and Tubbo’s lives during the war and this practically placed a target on Tommy dead on. He worried for the teen and only wanted to keep him safe but the problem was his stubbornness. He knew that if Wilbur truly insisted and kept him from the duel, not even locking him up would change his mind. So, instead he agreed to it. He just wondered,  _ when did they allow poison to be used? _

One the opposing side, Dream stood before the potion bottle with an internal debate. He had agreed to the duel merely to humor Tommy and because he was aware of the blonde’s neverending stubbornness. Dream knew that if he would reject the idea, Tommy would merely continue to insist until his own patience would wear thin and he’d accidentally harm the teen. As he stared at the sickly green liquid, he felt his stomach churn. Before he could say anything, an arm wrapped around his neck and tugged him against a warm and plated chest.

“Not having any second thoughts?” Sapnap asked, a sharp grin on his face.

Dream chuckled as he shook his head, gingerly taking the bottle into his hands, “Never. Just- who even suggested poison?”

“I think it was George, he just blurted it out or something.” Sapnap shrugged. “Either way, you aren’t  _ scared,  _ are you?”

“Please,” Dream waved him off, staring down at the bottle, “I’ve done worse.”

“Yeah.” Sapnap agreed, “I mean come on, you’ve jumped down super high cliffs and ravines… didn’t you get bitten by that cave spider one time?”

“I did.” Dream mused, shaking the bottle slightly as he watched the liquid slosh with avid interest, “But drinking poison is different.”

“I don’t even know who’d be dumb enough to do it willingly.” Sapnap snorted, letting Dream go and crossing his arms. 

Dream looked towards him with a deadpan look, “Yeah, I wonder.” 

Sapnap let out a barking laugh as he slapped his back, “Go get him, tiger.”

“I will.” Dream smirked underneath his mask, adjusting his hold on the bottle a bit.

As Sapnap walked back to stand before George, he had second thoughts. While he had gone over to comfort Dream and lift his spirits, he had mostly done it to remind him that Dream was fine and he was still there. He was the only one in the whole SMP who had known Dream the longest, George coming a close second, and he didn’t know what he would do if he lost Dream. He closed his eyes and assured himself that Dream  _ would _ win and the poison wouldn’t have any lasting effects. It’s not even  _ that  _ strong, he trusted Bad. 

“Are you guys really sure about this?” Bad fretted as he looked between Tommy and Dream, both who had a bottle of poison in hand. “Like, maybe we can do something else like a potion of-”

“No, this is fine.” Dream waved him off, making sure his voice was steady. “Are  _ you _ ready, Tommy?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Tommy glared up at Dream’s blank mask. 

Dream shifted it to reveal his mouth as the two brought the opened bottle and tilted it upwards, downing the poison straight. Tommy choked as he finished, surging forward like he wanted to vomit. He held a hand to his mouth, breathing heavily as his pupils dilated and he felt sick. Dream was in a similar state as he had dropped the bottle and instead held himself up with his free hand against the table nearby. He was heaving as he brought a shaky hand up to shift his mask back in place. 

Both sides look on to their leaders with concern shining in their eyes but they knew not to rush forward and help, knowing their pride would not allow it. So, they watched with pinched faces as Tommy and Dream continued to heave, the poison running through their veins as they shook on their spot. They wondered idly how the duel would even go considering the two were quite weak. Could they even draw their own bows?

Fundy flinched when Tommy gagged, seemingly wishing to puke out whatever was itching it’s way up his throat but not being able to. Dream continued to shake, his hands clenching as his knuckles turned white. Bad reached out worriedly, looking between the two as he tried to gauge how far the poison was going. Despite how mild it was, it didn’t change the fact that it was poison. Bad was half-way through getting the antidote from his satchel when Dream held up a hand, noticing his actions.

“Don’t.” He rasped. “We’re- we’re ready to go.”

“Ready- You muffinhead, do you not see yourselves?” Bad screeched. “No, this was a bad idea and I don’t even know why I agreed to it-”

“Bad just let them be.” Wilbur stepped in though his eyes betrayed his words. He himself wanted to step in and help Tommy, give him the antidote and never let him leave L’manberg walls if he could.

“But-”

“No.” Tommy shook his head, an action he regretted a moment later when he paled and swayed a bit on his feet. Tubbo stepped forward, a hand out to help Tommy when he was met with a hand. The blonde managed to glare through his tears as he forced himself to straighten, “Let’s get this over with, Dream.”

The other remained silent, the only indication that he had heard was the sharp nod that he sent Tommy. The two straightened up and took a deep breath despite their shaking hands. They walked out the house, not waiting for the rest to follow. It wasn’t long before they were on the path where they agreed the duel would commence. When the rest arrived, Wilbur had stepped forward with two bows and arrows in hand. He handed a bow to each of them along with an accompanying arrow. 

He steps back and watches as his right hand and enemy stand back to back, fumbling around with the arrow as they steadied their hands to draw it back. Wilbur cleared his throat and began counting, the two stepping along to the beat as silence stretched around them. Everyone held their breath as the count reached nine and the two readied themselves. 

_ 10 _

Tommy twisted around despite his gut churning and his vision blurring. He drew the string back and let go, his arms falling the moment he released all the tension. He knew he had missed even when his vision swam and the floor looked so good to lay on. Then, he felt a sharp sting in his stomach. He coughed, bringing a hand to touch the shaft of the arrow. He looked up to Dream, seeing the man drop the bow and lurch forward. Tommy followed suite and the two had dropped to the ground in a heap. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOYAH, WHUMP. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW... uh well... I added a n e w chapter because bet ya'll were curious about the... incident uwu


	2. The Healing Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two people had moved immediately when they saw the two blonde lurch forward and drop to the ground. Wilbur had rushed to Tommy’s side, catching him by the shoulders to steady him and avoid the arrow from digging even further due to his position. Sapnap had dropped everything, even pulling off his chestplate mid run as he moved to grab Dream before his face smashed against the ground. 
> 
> There was a beat before the rest reacted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me
> 
> Also, warning uh-- graphic description of a wound. Ye.

Two people had moved immediately when they saw the two blonde lurch forward and drop to the ground. Wilbur had rushed to Tommy’s side, catching him by the shoulders to steady him and avoid the arrow from digging even further due to his position. Sapnap had dropped everything, even pulling off his chestplate mid run as he moved to grab Dream before his face smashed against the ground. 

There was a beat before the rest reacted.

“TOMMY!” Tubbo ran over and skidded on his knees as he kneeled on Tommy’s other side, helping Wilbur stem the blood flow. His hands were shaking but he forced them to be steady as he pressed on the wound. Tears pricked his eyes as his mind drifted to darker thoughts and he shook his head. “Tommy, Tommy, please- you’re not, Tommy, you’re not going to-”

Wilbur tried to even out his breathing as he cradled Tommy in his arms, tears pricking his eyes. This teen, his brother, was  _ so brave _ . He had downed poison and still tried to shoot Dream, knowing it was a losing battle. He had fought  _ so hard _ despite knowing the end result. He didn’t want the young male to wake up to find out he had lost and everything was for naught. He didn’t want him to-

He whipped his head up, looking across to see how Dream was fairing. The taller man had also fainted, just right after releasing his bow. Wilbur gritted his teeth, unconsciously glad that the man got what he had coming for him. He swallowed and looked down. Despite that, he can’t fault the man as he had been poisoned as well and that earned a  _ little bit  _ of sympathy. Not much but even Wilbur had some humanity.

He looked up and saw Fundy looking down with worried eyes, his tail flicking back and forth. It wasn’t long before Bad had appeared beside him with frantic eyes and hands, kneeling by Wilbur as he scanned Tommy. The older man hadn’t gone along with them as he didn’t want to watch the duel but remained nearby in case something bad had happened.

“I’m  _ so sorry _ , I should’ve arrived sooner.” Bad spoke in a rushed tone as he pulled out many potions from his satchel and some bandages as well. “Tubbo, please continue to apply pressure to the wound. Wilbur can you shift Tommy a bit so I can work better?”

The two complied easily. Wilbur had shifted Tommy to expose the wound much more, moving some of the younger’s clothing to the side as he looked down at the wound. Tubbo continued to apply pressure around the wound and keep the shaft stable, ensuring it doesn’t move around much. Bad inspected the wound, seeing the tip of the arrow sticking out of Tommy’s back. Thankfully, it had grazed his stomach and was more to the side than it was in the middle of the stomach.

“Okay, I’ll cut the bottom and remove the arrow from the back.” Bad stated clearly so that the people around him were aware. “Fundy, hand over your sword.”

The half-fox hesitantly handed his iron sword over and watched as Bad positioned it and cut the bottom part of the arrow cleanly. He threw it away and shifted so it was easier to remove the arrow. He took the arrow head in hand and pulled it slowly. Once the arrow was pulled out, he discarded it to the side, focusing more on moving Tommy’s clothes away so he could wrap his wound with bandages.

“The bandages would need some work and it isn’t as clean as I want it to be.” Bad sighed, running a hand through his hair in stress, “But it’ll do for now. I want you to bring Tommy back to L’manberg, give him this potion every hour, the whole bottle should be enough for the night. Change the bandages in an hour or so and make sure to clean around the wound if it gets bloody.”   
  


“I got it.” Wilbur nodded at Bad, thankful the man was so good at what he does. 

Bad gave a sharp nod in return, “I want one of you to come meet me when the potion runs out and I’ll check on Tommy’s condition. I can’t hand over the antidote immediately or else it might counteract with the medicine for his wound.”

“Okay, yeah, thank you Bad.” Wilbur sighed.

Bad reached over and placed a hand on the weary general’s shoulder, “He’ll survive, Will. I know he will. The poison isn’t much, just enough to give him some symptoms but nothing lasting. Once he’s all healed up, I’ll hand over the antidote to help flush his system of the poison.”

Wilbur nodded mutely, trusting in the medic’s words. He let out a sigh and met Tubbo and Fundy’s eyes. They nodded and stood up. Wilbur got on his knees, grunting as he carried Tommy along with him as they made their way back to L’manberg. As he walked away from the scene, he turned back to see what was happening with Dream and noted how his friends crowded him but more importantly how Sapnap held him close.

Maybe they shared something similar. 

As the L’manberg soldiers left the scene without much of a fuss, Sapnap was cradling Dream by his chest, brushing strands of hair away from his face. He felt the man’s neck and noted how he was feverish as Punz, Eret and George surrounded them with worried eyes. Sapnap snapped to look up at Bad who was approaching them.

“What is this?” He snapped, tightening his grip on Dream. “I thought you said it was mild.”

“It was.” Bad sighed, kneeling down to inspect Dream as well. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still poison nonetheless.”

“He’s feverish.” Sapnap hissed. 

Bad startled at that, frowning as he leaned forward and felt Dream’s temperature with the back of his hand. He hummed before he dug through his satchel and showed two potions, “I can give him the antidote right now but I fear he might puke it out if he does have a fever so I’ll just give you the healing potion for that. Let him rest for a bit and when the fever subsides I’ll give the antidote.”

Sapnap wanted to snap at him to hand over the antidote and fix his friend but he held his tongue. He knew better to question Bad as he actually knew what he was doing. Instead, he nodded and watched as Bad handed the potions to George. He gave dream one last look over before he straightened.

“Since he has a fever and the poison is already limiting his breathing as it is, I’d suggest you take his mask off. Give him some food, soup preferably, and keep him hydrated. When you finish the healing potion, taken in four hour intervals, come find me and I’ll see if he’s okay enough to take the antidote.”

“Okay, yeah, we- we can do that.” Sapnap looked down, his brows creased. Only he and George were allowed to see Dream without the mask on so he decided to reserve taking it off for later when they had settled him down. “Thanks, Bad.”

“No problem. Take care of him and if there’s anything you need then I’m just a few blocks away.” Bad nodded and stood up, shrugging on his satchel. 

Sapnap grunted as he stood up, realizing the taller man’s height added to his weight and he huffed. He turned back to regard the rest of their team, “George you’re coming with me, we’re gonna take turns taking care of him. Punz, Eret thanks so much for your help, we’ll tell you how Dream’s doing.”

“Anytime.” Punz nodded, shooting the unconscious man’s figure one last worried look before he departed towards his tower.

“He  _ will _ get better.” Eret reassured the two, knowing full well they had a long history with the masked man, “I know he will.”

“We do too but that doesn’t stop us from worrying.” George whispered, knowing Sapnap was too occupied with his own ranging thoughts. “Thank you, Eret.”

“I’ll see you later.” He nodded at the two and turned to head back to his unfinished castle. 

The two stood in silence before they turned and trudged back to where they knew Dream’s base was. George pocketed the potions carefully along his belt and he picked up Sapnap’s forgotten chestplate as they passed. They continued in silence, trapped within their own turbulent thoughts as the outcome of the duel ended up being very far from what they expected. 

Within L’manberg’s walls, Wilbur sat with his head in his hands as he sat beside Tommy’s bed. The whole place was still a mess, having come out of an explosion just moments before. He had opted to watch over Tommy while Tubbo and Fundy tried to keep everything from falling apart. While they were hesitant and almost unwilling to leave Tommy, with the assurance from their General they had moved to do their job. 

Wilbur watched as Tommy’s chest lifted and fell with shallow breaths. He let out a breath of his own as he looked at the coat that hung against a hook. He had taken off the younger’s coat so he had a better time breathing and the wound wouldn’t be aggravated. He had even taken off the other clothing, instead putting him back to his light white and red shirt. Wilbur looked down at his hands as he thought about the many things he could’ve done to avoid this. Maybe if he had fought harder? Maybe if they had more resources? What if he never even proposed L’manberg? That way Tubbo and Tommy wouldn’t be hurt. What if he had been the one who challenged Dream to a duel instead? What if-

His thoughts swarmed him, drowning him in grief and regrets before he felt a light touch to his hand. He snapped his head up, barely registering the crack that resonated from the sudden movement, as he stared into dull, tired but open blue eyes.

“Hey, big man. Did we win?” Tommy gave a weak smile as he coughed, wincing as it aggravated his wounds. “Ugh, I’ll take that as a no.”

Wilbur opened his mouth but nothing came out. No words could be said of the amount of relief that Wilbur felt at that moment. He moved his hand to squeeze Tommy’s, shoving all of his relief and joy into the simple gesture. Tommy seemed to have gotten it, in spite of his hazy eyes and drowsy deposition.

“Even if we didn’t win, Tommy.” Wilbur swallowed, realizing his voice was rough. “You did great.”

“Haha…” Tommy let out weakly, letting his head rest on the pillow, “Bet Dream looks worse.”

“He didn’t look any better that’s for sure.” Wilbur admitted. While he didn’t enjoy downplaying one’s injuries, enemy or not, he had done it for Tommy’s sake and at the moment everything was for Tommy.

“Good. Glad I gave him a run for his money.” Tommy chuckled, turning his head to the other side as his hand went limp in Wilbur’s hold. “Gah, I’m so tired, Will. Is the poison still in me?”

“Yeah, Bad said we’d have to fix up that wound of your first.” Wilbur explained.

Tommy huffed, blowing at his bangs, “I’ll get Dream for this.”

A slight fear struck Wilbur as he remembered Tommy falling as the arrow pierced him, “No, no. No more challenging Dream to  _ anything _ . I think I’ve had enough of that.”

Tommy huffed out a small laugh, “You sound awfully worried.”

“You’re giving me grey hairs.”

“You’ve always had 'em.”

“You’re a rude child, Tommy.” Wilbur shook his head with a sigh but a smile was on his face. 

Tommy caught the smile and mustered up his own, turning into a wince as he felt another sharp pain run through him, “I’m not a child.”

“Whatever. Come on, you’ll have to drink this.”

“Ugh, those taste like shit.”

“You look like shit.”

Outside L’manberg, in a desolate location where a beautiful two story house stood had Sapnap sitting beside Dream’s bed as the older man slept. George was in the kitchen preparing their dinner and Dream’s soup in case he awoke that night. Sapnap stared down at Dream’s unconscious form and felt a pang of guilt.

He had partially blamed both George and Tommy for even starting this whole thing and going along with the whole poison idea. Like the duel itself wasn’t dangerous enough but they just  _ had to raise the stakes _ . Sapnap let out a shaky sigh as he wrung his hands together, he could blame whoever he wanted but in the end it was  _ his _ fault entirely. He could’ve stopped Dream, told him it was too much.  _ Remind  _ him of the disaster that was that one fall when he had gotten sick for a week becuase he was stupid enough to get bitten by  _ two  _ cave spiders. But instead what did he do? 

Like an idiot he  _ encouraged _ Dream. He  _ encouraged  _ him despite knowing the repercussions. Maybe he  _ was _ truly the one at fault here? Because instead of being a good friend- childhood nonetheless- he had instead given into his recklessness and told him to go for it. Sapnap had known Dream for so long, you’d think he knew all of Dream’s mistakes.  _ Perhaps he could add this to the many mistakes he had to sit through and watch Dream suffer. _

Sapnap looked up in a flash when he heard a rasping cough, standing up to stride closer to the bed. He leant down and helped Dream up, patting his back to ease his rattling coughs. He waited as Dream calmed down and reached over to pass over a glass bottle. Dream accepted it gratefully as he gulped down a good amount of the bottle. He wiped some excess liquid from the side of his mouth before he shivered, rubbing his hands on his arms.

“What happened?” He rasped out, his mouth and throat still dry despite having drunk water. A symptom of the poison he noted idly. That meant they haven’t given him the antidote yet. 

“You have a fever right now so Bad doesn’t want you to get the antidote just yet.” Sapnap explained, taking the glass and setting it on the dresser beside the bed. “He’s scared you’ll vomit it all out.”

“Right.” Dream scratched his cheek, having noticed his mask was gone the moment he woke up. He was always prone to puking when he was sick, even when he was a child. “What happened?”

“Ah,” Sapnap realized what he wanted now, “Tommy got shot in the stomach, they have him in L’manberg’s walls right now. I also have a feeling he doesn’t have the antidote yet.”

Dream hummed, looking down at his hands. He didn’t feel anything for the victory. It felt…  _ empty _ . It was like he didn’t  _ deserve  _ the win. Of course he knew he  _ owned _ the win. There was no doubt that he had won with skill and luck. Yet, something deep in his gut told him that he didn’t deserve it all. That he was taking something  _ big _ away. 

_ Or it could just be the fact he wanted to- _

He turned over, puking his guts out to the side of his bed. Sapnap yelped and rushed over, pulling out a bucket and handing it over to Dream as he heaved. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his pajamas as he looked down at the bucket. He sniffled and rubbed at his eyes, feeling another round coming up at his throat. He held nothing back as he puked into the bucket, feeling his throat itch as he did so. 

He’ll have to think about this later. Maybe when he wasn’t puking his guts out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so.. is this considered fluff/comfort or did I do it wrong and just make everything hurt even more? Cause if so... :)
> 
> HAHAHAHAH they're not dead, I promise. They'll pull through.
> 
> Added one more chapter cause this got too long and I didn't even get to the ending that I was really looking forward to. So yes, fluff will happen. I promise :)


	3. Bright Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy hated being bedridden. It really sucked especially when he was being babied. He was not a baby. He was a big strong man who could handle being poisoned and shot by an arrow.
> 
> \---------------------------
> 
> He turned his head over to glance at Sapnap who was still fast asleep, having stayed up all night caring for Dream, and pondered for a moment. He was feeling okay right now and had Sapnap been awake he’d disagree almost immediately. Still, he didn’t want to stay stuck inside his room for two days straight. Being in it for a whole night while also puking his guts out every now and again just turned it off for him.

Tommy hated being bedridden. It really sucked especially when he was being babied. He was  _ not _ a baby. He was a big strong man who could handle being poisoned and shot by an arrow. He could stand on his own and get-  _ nevermind _ . 

Tommy lurched forward, groaning as sharp pain shot up from his stomach. He hissed and lied back down, trying so hard to forget about the pain. He  _ hated _ this. Tommy stretched carefully, before he brought a hand down to his stomach. He hasn’t healed fully yet and the poison was still in his veins, thought a whole lot more diluted now that he flushed some of it out. He  _ had _ puked a few times and he doesn’t know if that counts as flushing out some of the poison but he’ll take it. 

He turned on his bed, twisting the sheets under him as he tried to find a comfortable position. He  _ hated _ being bedridden. It’s like he’s being trapped and that’s the last thing he wanted. He was about to slam his head on his pillow and scream when the door slammed open and he yelped, looking up. 

“Tommy!” Tubbo greeted with a wide grin. “You’re awake?”

“Yeah, the potion did a number on me last night huh.” Tommy jokes. “How’s everything going?”

“Well, since Dream is still sick we have to wait on him before he makes any official declaration, y’know.” Tubbo waved his hand around, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like shit.”

“As you should.” Tubbo teased with a firm nod. “But, really, Tommy. What’s up?”

“Ugh, I hate staying in bed. I wanna leave.” Tommy whined, throwing a hand over his eyes. “I wanna walk around and just not stay here anymore.”

“Understandable.” Tubbo agreed, nodding. “Anyways, Wilbur had gone to talk to Bad since you finished the potion already and he’ll need him to check up on you. Though, I heard it was at the same time that George had gone in for Dream to get checked up on.”

Tommy huffed, crossing his arms as he laid back, “Well Bad should come to me. I have a literally gaping hole in my stomach!”

“You do.” Tubbo nodded along seriously. Tommy snorted and stretched his arms above his head. The two sat in silence for a whole minute before Tubbo stretched and stood up, giving Tommy a smile, “Well! I should get back out there and continue fixing up L’manberg.”

“Huh? But didn’t we-” Tommy stopped before he snorted and smirked, “Yeahh! That’s the spirit!”

Tubbo beamed and ran off, waving back at Tommy as he closed the door behind him. Tommy huffed and turned away from the door, staring at the blank wall. He couldn’t believe that they had  _ lost _ . After all the sacrifices, the pain and blood they shed- they still lost to the overwhelming power of Dream and his friends. Tommy groaned and turned over, ignoring the stabbing pain as he shoved his face on his pillow. He stayed that way for a while, ignoring how the door opened and soft footsteps walked in. 

He kept his eyes closed and breathing shallow as he felt hands adjust him to lie face up. He ignored the tentative hand that pulled his shirt open and inspected the clean bandages and the wound that was underneath. He ignored the hushed whispers as the two men left the room. What he couldn’t ignore was the clink of a glass bottle being set down before they had left. 

Tommy cracked open an eye and turned his head to look at the potion that sat on the top of his desk. Tommy contemplated downing the concoction despite it’s tangy flavor. It  _ could _ mean he would be able to walk around soon and Tommy grinned savagely. He pushed himself to sit up, wincing at the slight pain before he snatched the bottle by its neck, uncorked the top and downed it like a shot. He’d do  _ anything _ to not be bedridden anymore. When he finished, he stuck out his tongue and scrunched his face- the flavor having finally registered and Tommy felt like gagging. It was strong and slightly bitter with a too sweet taste. He shivered at it before he paled.

He coughed as he brought a hand to his stomach. He winced when he felt his skin practically stitching itself back together at a rapid pace and he laid back down. He gritted his teeth as he felt the potion doing it’s work in the most uncomfortable way possible. He let out a hiss through his gritted teeth as he clenched at the sheets, his body shaking as it tried to balance itself out along with the rapid changing and healing of his wound.  _ Maybe he shouldn’t have done that _ . 

He groaned as he felt his body heat up for a bit before dropping in temperature and his stomach churned. He could’ve thought this through, knowing that downing a whole potion was going to have these kinds of effects, but the thought of not being bedridden was so tempting and alluring that he  _ had _ to do it. He clenched his jaw and decided that he  _ will _ man up and get through this. It was  _ just  _ a potion.

On the other side of the server, Dream had laid on his bed with Sapnap dozing off on a chair nearby. George had gone off earlier to give Bad the details and ask for what to do next while Sapnap had stayed to watch over Dream. The older man sighed through his nose and brought an arm up to rest on his forehead as he stared at the ceiling. He was still burning up but significantly less so. 

He turned his head over to glance at Sapnap who was still fast asleep, having stayed up all night caring for Dream, and pondered for a moment. He  _ was _ feeling okay right now and had Sapnap been awake he’d disagree almost immediately. Still, he didn’t want to stay stuck inside his room for two days straight. Being in it for a whole night while also puking his guts out every now and again just turned it off for him. Groaning, he turned his head over and stared at the wall blankly. 

He was a wandering soul, he hated staying still for such long periods of time. While George and Sapnap would manhandle him back to bed, he could always sneak out and hide. For a minute he laid there, his body shivering ever so slightly. He  _ could _ sneak out. A grin broke into his face as he rolled over and reached for his mask that laid on the dresser top. He sat up slowly, debating on what to bring as he threw the covers off of him. He stretched before he rubbed at his arms to chase off the chills. He looked around the room before he spotted his chest that was pushed to the corner of the room.

He grinned to himself and approached it, throwing the lid open and scanning the contents. He pulled out his quiver and filled them with arrows. He pulled out his crossbow and his trusty netherite axe. Both glowed with unbridled power and he grinned, enjoying the familiar weight of the crossbow on his back and the feel of his axe’s handle. 

He stood up and threw on his familiar green hoodie as he strapped the quiver to his belt. He twirled the axe in hand before he sheathed it on his belt just opposite to his quiver. He reached into the chest once more and got some fingerless gloves which he slipped on easily. He clenched and unclenched his fists, enjoying the familiar feel of his weapons on him. He grinned and swiped some potions from the chest, healing and strength potions he had brewed himself along with some spare tools that he had in case. 

He opened and closed the door silently, ensuring that his steps were quiet as he traversed his house. He entered the kitchen and rummaged through the chests there for two bottled waters and some food. He pocketed the many apples and bread he had found. He would have brought the pork with him but he knew he’d end up puking it out if he ate too much. He shook his head, ruffling his hair as he pulled on his mask and bent down to pull on his boots. 

Moving to the back door he had installed, he threw it open and breathed in the fresh air as a breeze ruffled his hair. He grinned behind his mask and strolled towards the forests behind his house and slowly rounded around the whole SMP, his goal was to get to L’manberg.

Just as he entered the forest, within the walls of L’manberg Tommy had already recovered from his stupid decision of downing a whole health potion. He huffed and brought a hand to run over his stomach. When he felt nothing, he grinned and sat up while ruffling his hair. He can finally walk! Sure, he still had the matter of poison in his veins but he was sure it was mild enough that it wouldn’t hinder a little bit of exploring. He grinned and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his eyes roving around the small room. 

He noted a chest and moved to open it. His eyes lit up when he recognized some of the items inside to be his old gear before he changed into the L’manberg uniform. He rummaged through the chest, pulling out his harness, relishing in the familiar click as he attached it to his chest. He pulled out his quiver and a few arrows which he attached to his back. He grabbed the bow and sword that laid together and sheathed the sword to his side as he held onto the bow. He adjusted his grip on his bow as he continued to dig into the chest with his other hand.

He pulled out a few other useless things, some of which he shoved back right away. Then, his eyes caught a gleam from the other corner of the room and he walked over to it. He noted the gleaming tip of a chest peeking out from under a tarp and grasped at it with his hand. He pulled the tarp away and he grinned when faced with an Ender Chest. He pulled the lid open, seeing his most prized items. With a laugh, he pocketed the many potatoes he had saved for food and continued to look around the chest. He stopped when he noticed two discs. 

_ What would he do for L’manberg? _

**_Anything_ ** .

With a heavy heart, he pocketed those too and straightened, his eyes gleaming with determination. He would make it up to his friends and make L’manberg a reality. He  _ will _ get them their freedom. He looked around and nodded, satisfied with what he had. He grinned as he pushed the windows open. He checked his surroundings before he climbed out the window. He dropped down with a grunt, dusting off his pants. He looked around, making sure he wasn’t seen as he sprinted over to the border and climbing out a crack in the wall- something that must’ve happened during the explosions. He looked up and froze.

At that moment, he had caught sight of the masked man he had wanted to meet. While he  _ was _ planning to meet up with him, he had expected to traverse the woods and try and find his house. He didn’t expect to see the man literally walking towards him. When Dream finally noticed him, he froze as well. The two stared at each other silently, making no move to draw their weapons or even say anything.

It wasn’t long before the silence got suffocating and Tommy squirmed, “Dream, I want to talk to you.”

“Oh?” Dream responded, his voice sounding a bit raspy. Tommy wracked his brain, remembering the man was supposed to be sick due to the poison. 

“It’s about L’manberg.” Tommy swallowed, putting on a brave face.

Dream was silent for a moment before he nodded and gestured for Tommy to follow him. Tommy gave the walls one last look before he followed Dream. It might be a stupid idea to do so, knowing the man could easily kill him seeing as he was armed but Tommy needed this. He  _ needed _ to meet Dream and talk about all this. He needed to  _ negotiate _ . 

For once in his life, he needed to make the  _ right _ call. 

They stopped deep in the forest, so deep that Tommy could barely see L’manberg or the Dream SMP buildings. He took a deep breath and faced the opposing leader before him. While Tommy wasn’t looking too good, his skin still pale and clammy due to the poison and his throat was dry- he could also see that Dream was swaying on his feet and his hands were shaking. Which was why he had leaned against a tree and crossed his arms when he regarded Tommy.

“I know what you want.” Tommy muttered lowly. 

Dream shifted on his spot, tilting his head, “What would that be?”

Tommy hesitated before he took out his discs, showing them to Dream. The masked leader leaned forward and regarded the discs before he nodded sharply at Tommy, asking him to continue, “I’ll trade you this for L’manberg’s freedom.”

“Did Wilbur set you up for this?” Dream muttered and Tommy had a feeling he was being scrutinized under the mask.

Tommy squirmed under the gaze, “No. I- uh- I’m not even fully healed yet I snuck out to talk to you.” 

Dream paused. Tommy was still sick? He had a stupid arrow wound and he still went out to meet him? He couldn’t believe the utter recklessness of the child before him. First was the duel and now this? Did he really care for that country so much? Would he really sacrifice his own life for it? His life, something so young and fruitful, for a country that Dream didn’t think would even prosper for that long?

Dream opened his mouth to speak when he paled. He hadn’t noticed it before but it was clawing at his throat by now. He noted Tommy’s confused look when he shifted his mask up and turned to the side, emptying the contents of his stomach- which wasn’t a lot in the first place.

Tommy flinched at the sound of retching as he turned his equally pale face away. He didn’t need to see that especially since he could feel the back of his throat itch. He can’t puke now, he had already taken the healing potion.  _ He was fine _ . 

When the sounds of puking were done, Tommy hesitantly looked back to see Dream wiping his mouth with the end of his sleeve. The taller man coughed for a moment before he straightened and shook his head lightly. He didn’t move his mask back so Tommy stared at the pale lips of his enemy.

“Sorry.” He rasped, coughing once more before he straightened himself out. “Are you sure you should’ve snuck out?”

“I- uh.” Tommy stopped before he pointed accusingly at Dream, “You’re the one that puked! Are  _ you _ supposed to even be here.”

Dream brought a hand to scratch his neck as he looked away with a sheepish smile, “Okay, fair enough, Child.”

“I am not a child!” Tommy huffed.

Slowly, the atmosphere changed from two enemies making a deal with one another to two old friends falling back into their usual banter. Dream internally sighed as he wished they could go back to a simpler time. A time where they could just fight each other for fun and no deaths loomed over their conscience. 

“About that deal, Tommy…” 

He didn’t like bringing them back to the present but what more could he do? He’s already the villain of their history. He’s already proven himself to be ruthless and cruel with his underhanded tricks. He doesn’t want it to hurt even more when they finally cut ties and tensions will be in the air. Still, he couldn’t help it really. They wanted a country, he said otherwise. It was  _ bound _ to happen. 

“Right.” Tommy cleared his throat, sobering up. “I- my discs for L’manbergh.”

“I’d say that is a fair trade.” Dream nodded, stepping forward and reaching out a hand.

He had expected to see Tommy hesitate and change his mind. Maybe even a pained look on his face. However, he was greeted with determined eyes and a strong face. Dream had to admire this about Tommy. He always knew he was doing the right thing- while sometimes it may be an annoyance and a variable to his stubbornness- which really helped his drive and determination. Dream smiled at him knowing his mouth was seen and gingerly took the discs from him. He carefully tucked it into his satchel and nodded at Tommy.

“You have your country.” How could Dream refuse such a noble deal? He could easily turn it down and still raze L’manberg to the ground but Tommy had not only shocked him but made him truly see how important this country could be to its citizens. Sure,  _ he _ might not see it as important- instead it was such a major waste of time and perhaps a petty and spiteful jab towards him- but that might be different for the citizens. “I’ll still have to speak with Wilbur about the treaty but-”

“ **_TOMMY!?_ ** ”

“ **_DREAM!?_ ** ”

The two blondes flinched, hearing the loud shouts from either side. Tommy rubbed at his arm with a nervous chuckle while Dream coughed a bit, looking at the ground as he dug his boot into the dirt.

“So uh, what did you do?” Tommy asked. 

“I snuck out when George had gone to Bad and Sapnap was asleep.” Dream shrugged helplessly with a small smile, “You?”

“I- uh, drank a whole healing potion and sat in bed toughening out the effects.” Tommy let out a forced laugh, “Then I snuck out through the window.”

Dream let out a laugh, “You’re so dead.”

“Uh-huh, at least I’m fine now.” Tommy snorted, “You’re literally sick. You  _ puked _ just a while ago.”

“You’re looking pale yourself.” Dream snarked back, crossing his arms. “Your voice doesn’t sound too good either.”

“Yeah well-”

“Tommy, holy shit, there you-” Wilbur froze when he noticed Dream and Tommy in the clearing together. “Dream…”

“Wilbur.”

“Dream, you little shit! I go to sleep for one second and-” Sapnap stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene he walked into. 

“Tommy, what did you do.” Wilbur walked forward hesitantly. While he hadn’t been there long, he could see the two weren’t arguing but on much friendlier terms. Something he was a bit suspicious about.

“I got us our freedom, Wil!” Tommy beamed up at the man, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “L’manberg is free!”

“What, Dream?” Sapnap asked incredulously, walking to stand beside his friend. “What is he-?”

“We negotiated.” Dream nodded, shifting his mask to hide his smiling mouth. “They deserve it.”

“But-”

“Don’t worry Sapnap, we still won.” Dream patted his friend’s shoulder. “We’ll just let them have this for now.”

“Whatever.” Sapnap huffed, “You’re still sick though.”

“I had a small sip of a strength potion before I got here.” Dream waved him off.

“Wait, that’s what you puked out!” Tommy screeched, pointing at Dream, “No wonder it was  _ red _ ! I thought it was  _ blood _ !” 

“You puked!” Sapnap screamed, turning at Dream.

“Like you’re any better, Tommy!” Wilbur hissed, hitting him at the back of his head. “You literally downed a whole health potion!”

“Well I got bored and-”

“No, you’re grounded.” Wilbur huffed. “You almost gave me a heart attack when I saw the empty bottle in the room with the chests literally raided.”

“Sorry.” Tommy muttered, crossing his arms petulantly. 

“As for you!” Sapnap whacked Dream behind his head. The blonde stumbled forward, spluttering. “I’m tying you down on your bed and not letting you go until I know you’re not sick.”

“I’m not sick.” Dream huffed. 

“Yeah, Dream is right. We’re not sick.” Tommy huffed, lifting his head up. Wilbur and Sapnap exchanged disgruntled looks. While they were on different sides, the two shared a common headache. 

“Are you su-”

Before Sapnap could finish his sentence, both Tommy and Dream paled before doubling over and emptying the contents of their stomachs. Sapnap yelped, taking a bucket and shoving it at Dream out of reflex while Wilbur sprung to action and patted Tommy’s back as he drew comforting circles around the younger’s back. The two continued before they descended into raspy coughing.

“Still not sick?” Wilbur mused, keeping Tommy steady.

“It’s the stupid flavor of the stupid potion.” Tommy muttered, “Fuck you, Wilbur.”

“I am fine.” Dream swatted at Sapnap’s hands. “I’m not a child.”

“I digress.” Sapnap scrunched his face in disgust. 

“So- uh-” Dream coughed into his hand, “Wilbur I’ll meet you later to talk about the treaty between L’manberg and my SMP.” 

“Yeah, get well first.” Wilbur scrunched his nose as he looked at their identical pools of puke. “I’d rather not see you puke during the meeting.”

“He won’t.” Sapnap glared at Dream. “I’ll make sure of it. If you make sure Tommy isn’t gallivanting around while he still has some poison in him.”

“Agreed.” Wilbur nodded.

As the two were escorted back to their respective homes, they felt a sense of satisfaction rise up their throats. Tommy finally got their nation the freedom that it deserves and Dream got to see Tommy smiling again. The two had encountered each other with animosity but they left with a tentative friendship. A far cry from what they both had before the whole war but they were getting there. Soon, peace will reign once more. 

  
  


_ But they forget that a nation founded on war will never see peace. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THAT'S A W R A P!!
> 
> That last line is basically teasing the whole election thing but I'm not continuing more cause this fic is more about Tommy and Dream during the duel!! So I hope you enjoyed this little thing uwu. Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated and I hope you enjoy the other fics I have written for Dream SMP!! I won't lie and say I won't make more because this whole thing is just so pretty heehee.


	4. Cave Spider Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This happened long ago, long before Dream and his friends created a community where they invited people from all over the lands to join. This happened long before Dream met half the people in the community he had built. It happened when it was only him, George and Sapnap. It happened when they were still quite young and not that skilled. While the whole SMP knew the three as very skilled fighters who could never fall to an easy fight, they weren’t always like this. They had honed their skills through their experience and many close calls.
> 
> This was one of those close calls. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the Cave Spider Incident Sapnap kept mentioning. This shows why e x a c t l y he felt so responsible for Dream. He was a little bugger back then and he didn't want to make the same mistake.

This happened long ago, long before Dream and his friends created a community where they invited people from all over the lands to join. This happened long before Dream met half the people in the community he had built. It happened when it was only him, George and Sapnap. It happened when they were still quite young and not that skilled. While the whole SMP knew the three as very skilled fighters who could never fall to an easy fight, they weren’t always like this. They had honed their skills through their experience and many close calls.

This was one of those close calls. 

The three were travelling, they were biomes away from their last village and who knows how far from the nearest one. Dream was playing around with his mask, not that conscious of his face around his close friends while Sapnap and George argued about the compass.

“What do you mean it doesn’t work.” George hissed, slapping Sapnap’s arm. “I fine tuned it, of course it will work.”

“ _ This time _ ,” Sapnap mocked, snatching the compass. He shook it in his hand, eliciting a yelp from George as he tried to take it back, “look, it doesn’t make sense!”

“That’s because you’re shaking it!” George reached for the compass as he grunted with effort. “If you just let. Me. Have. A. Look!”

Sapnap laughed as he looked down at George, “Awe, wittle Gogy wants his toy back?”

“Sapnap!” George blushed at the tone, reaching forward and snatching the compass back. “You’re the worst.”

“No, you are.” He stuck his tongue out and crossed his arms.

Dream chuckled at their bickering and stored the mask away in his satchel, making sure not to damage any of the items inside and the mask itself. He caught up to the two and hooked his arms around their shoulders. They both let out indignant squeaks as they struggled in his grip.

“It’s almost night fall so we should start camping out.” Dream pointed out, looking up at the almost setting sun. “I saw a cave to our left, let’s explore?”

“Hell yeah!” Sapnap whooped. “I’m going to find diamonds this time, watch me.”

“You can’t even work the compass right and you expect to find diamonds.” George scoffed. “Sure.”

“Want to make a bet, Gogy?” Sapnap fluttered his lashes.

“What?” George looked at him with disgust, pocketing the compass as he turned to Dream. “You were saying?”

Dream laughed, “Let’s camp out in the cave, maybe gather some materials to trade in the next village or something.”

They reached the mouth of the cave and George peeked inside. He looked around, pushing the goggles up to rest on his head. He hummed before untangling himself from Dream’s hold, “I’ll light some torches and set up somewhere deeper down, how about you two?”

“I’ll be finding diamonds.” Sapnap rubbed his hands as he pulled out his pickaxe from behind him. 

“I’ll explore.” Dream shrugged, tugging at his green hoodie. “We’ll come back around when we get tired.”

“Make sure not to get lost.” George rolled his eyes, already lighting a torch and allowing them to see further into the cave. 

The system was much bigger than the three had expected and George had found a large enough area for them to camp out in. Sapnap had rushed off in a random direction immediately after he dropped a few of his things to lighten the load. Dream helped George set up their site for a minute.

“He’s going to get himself killed sooner or later.” George rolled his eyes as he stretched out some pieces of cloth to make a makeshift bed.

“How else did you think I found him.” Dream snorted, stretching his arms above his head. “He was surrounded by zombies.”

“Really?” George looked up with a mischievous smirk.

Dream shook his head, “Like you’re one to talk, George.”

George huffed, “Well yeah but it isn’t a secret between us. Sapnap on the other hand…”

“He can fight, just got overpowered at that moment maybe.” Dream shrugged.

George crossed his arms when he straightened up, “You’re defending him, not fair.”

“We are childhood friends after all.” Dream chuckled.

“Still.” George whined, flailing his arms around.

“Whatever you say, George.” Dream rolled his eyes. He turned to face three different openings that branched out, “Where did Sapnap run off to?”

“Uh, I think the right one?” George tilted his head. “Then again, the cave might connect at some point or another.”

“Well, I’ll go exploring.” Dream shrugged, grabbing an unlit torch and using their campfire to light it. “You can take care of mobs on your own, right?”

“Of course.” George stuck out his tongue.

“Just checking.” Dream snickered as he moved to take the middle opening. He ducked his head as the cave ceiling drooped down. He scanned the empty walls, using one hand to steady himself as he traversed the cave. He ducked underneath the stalactites that blocked his way as he observed the walls, looking for exposed ores that he can mine for materials and supplies. He could hear the faint drip of water accompanied by the slight hiss of lava. He chuckled and looked around, listening carefully to his surroundings. 

He had trained himself to survive in the wild, enjoying the thrill of jumping over trees and going into mines when he was younger. Nothing changed until now. He was a wandering soul. He didn’t like to be chained down and enjoyed the thrill of the adventure, the journey. It doesn’t matter what kind of destination he is going to reach, what matters is the journey and whatever helped him get there. That was how he found Sapnap and George. He wandered and wandered until he stumbled into Sapnap who was surrounded by mobs and overwhelmed. He wandered and wandered until he met George who was backed into a corner by three creepers. 

He had wandered and wandered until he reached here. 

“HOLY SHIT- OH MY FU- DREAM, GEORGE!” 

Dream startled from his inner musings and almost hit his head on a rather low hanging stalactite. He placed a hand on it and moved away, taking long and steady steps towards the mouth of the inner cave he had gone into. He could hear Sapnap’s shrieks but somehow it felt louder to his left. He stopped and unhooked the pickaxe from his belt, steadily and quickly mining on the wall where he heard Sapnap’s muffled screeches. 

“Dream, GeORGE PLEASE!! I FOUND A STUPID MINESHAFT AND THERE ARE CAVE SPIDERS EVERYWHERE!”

Dream froze briefly, feeling panic and anxiety crawl up his spine. His friend was in danger. To  _ cave spiders _ . They were dangerous mobs especially due to their  _ poisonous bites _ . 

He returned back to mining, this time at a faster pace. He needed to find Sapnap, fast. His ears perked up at the smallest of sounds, hoping he could find Sapnap this way. He heard a thud right in front of him and began mining even faster.

"DRE-"

"IM HERE!" Dream broke free from the wall and shoved pieces of rock away. He pulled Sapnap's sleeve over and he felt more than saw the spider lunge at him. 

He winced when a heavy weight settled at his back but focused his attention on pushing Sapnap down the narrow corridor he had mined.

"Dream, wait!"

"Go, Sapnap. Run!" Dream hissed, drawing his sword and slashing at the spider that landed on his back. Another spider jumped and grabbed his sword arm. 

He grunted and brought his hand up to push the large hairy beast away when it unhinged his jaws. With muted horror, he watched as the spider dug it's fangs into his arm. He muffled his scream of pain as he shook the large beast off of his arm. 

He gritted his teeth as he faced the others with grim determination. He just needed enough time to get away and block the wall with the stone he had collected. With a shout, he slashed at the spiders. He ignored the additional bite he got from his sword hand and backed away. 

Hastily, he grabbed the stone from his satchel and patched up the hole, ensuring that he added more layers than necessary for insurance. He let out a breath, leaning against the wall as he observed his wounds. 

The poison had seeped into his hoodie and ate away at it's material. When Dream looked at his wounds, he winced in pain as he felt the area start to burn. The poison was slowly making its way into his veins. He needed to act fast. 

He ripped his sleeve off and wrapped it around the upper half of his arm. He is hoping he could stem the blood from flowing up to the rest of body with the poison. He shook his head and pushed himself off the wall. 

He didn't get far before a body barreled right into him. He didn't have the time not energy to react, his mind immediately thinking it was danger, a zombie or something else. That was when he truly processed that it was Sapnap who was hugging his torso. He blinked before bringing up his uninjured arm and patting the younger male.

"Hey, it's fine. They're gone."

"You idiot."

"Me? Who was the one that got chased by cave spiders again?" Dream chuckled, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. 

"Who was the idiot who stayed behind and got bitten by  **two cave spiders** ?" Sapnap retorted, looking up at him with hard eyes.

Dream gave a sheepish smile before he shook his head, "Let's get back to George before he worries. I won't be surprised if he heard you screaming bloody murder."

"I wasn't that deep." Sapnap scoffed, letting go of the taller blonde. "I would be offended if he didn't hear me."

Dream rolled his eyes and ruffled the shorter male's hair, "Sure you will."

The two navigated their way through the dark cave, Dream had dropped his torch somewhere along the way to getting to Sapnap and they didn't have a way to light it. It wasn't long before they got back to their little camp site without the huge cavern, the cave Dream had chosen having only gone one way.

"You two  _ idiots _ ." George scowled with crossed arms as he noticed the two approaching. "I heard your screaming Sapnap and I wanted to go find you but I knew I'd get lost so I hoped Dream would find you. I did not expect him to come back with  _ cave spider bites of all things! _ " 

"Hey, we're even now!" Dream laughed. "You got cornered by creepers, Sapnap got cornered by zombies and I got cornered by cave spiders!"

"That isn't something you celebrate about, Dream!" George hissed, walking forward and slapping him over the head. He turned and took his injured arm into his hands. He inspected the wound and shook his head, “You better be glad I actually have an antidote with me just in case, along with a few health potions.”

“You don’t have to waste the health potions.” Dream shook his head, “I’ll be fine.”

“Sure you will.” Sapnap snorted, bumping his hip against Dream’s. 

“Anyways, you need to rest. Come on.” George shook his head.

“Why did you even have the antidote?” Dream was led to sit along a log that he and George had prepared a while ago.

“Do you not want it?” George looked up from his satchel with a raised eyebrow. “I got some when we stopped by that last village. It was at a good price and I wanted to have a safety net, in case. Guess I was right to purchase it.”

“Why? Expected me to get hurt?” Dream huffed.

“I expected either you or Sapnap would try and get killed one way or another.” George rolled his eyes. “Now, come over here and let me fix you up.” 

Dream brought his arm up and allowed the older man to deal with his injuries, cleaning them and wrapping them in bandages. He blinked when the bottle was shoved to his face.

“You’re drinking half.”

“Half?”

“I don’t know if you’ll puke or not.” George was dead serious.

Dream rolled his eyes and took the offered bottle. He followed George’s instructions and drank half of the bottle before handing it back. He shifted in his place, shivering a bit when he felt the sludgy liquid go down his throat. That didn’t feel good.

“Let’s head to bed. Since the two of you can’t really take care of yourself,” he glared at Dream and Sapnap, “I’ll take first watch.”

“I call for the second.” Sapnap smirked. 

“Alright, alright. Go to sleep now, idiots.”

The next morning greeted Dream with the urge to empty the contents of his stomach. He lurched forward, gripping his stomach as he puked to his right. He groaned, coughed into his hand. He must’ve been loud considering how George had ran in with a worried look on his face.

“Dream?”

“I’m-” he cut himself off with a cough, “fine.”

“You are not fine.” George scowled, striding forward and placing the back of his hand against his neck and forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“It’s fine. I can still walk and travel.” Dream waved him off, pushing himself to stand up. “We shouldn’t stay here for long.”

“No, no, no.” George scowled, pushing him back so he was lying down. “You are going back to sleep.”

“What?” Dream scrunched his face. “But I’m fine.”

“You are not.” George huffed, turning to grab his satchel that hung by the opening of Dream’s makeshift tent. “Plus, I need to wake Sapnap up to clean your puke.”

Dream turned over, “Yeah, it smells horrible.”

“You look horrible.” George shook his head, bringing out a pink potion. “Drink up.”

“What- no.” Dream shook his head. “You’d be wasting it.”

“Dream, we bought these potions for emergencies like this.” George shoved the bottle in his hands, “Drink. Up.”

“Ugh.” He uncorked the bottle and brought the opening to his mouth. He downed half of the bottle and pulled it away from him, making a face at the tangy taste. “Ew.”

“Suck it up.” George snorted and grabbed the bottle. “You’re not going to die on me and Sapnap.”

“Awe, you care.” Dream cooed before he coughed into his hand. His shoulders shook and the sound he produced caused George to squirm and look at Dream in worry.

“Sapnap and I just don’t want to bury your body. Too much of a hassle.” George shook his head but deep down he was worried. This was the first time he had seen Dream get a fever and the first thing he was greeted to was puking. He sighed and squashed down his worry, it won’t help him unless he actually did something about it. He turned back and exited the tent, moving to wake Sapnap up.

When he did, the younger male was on the ground groaning, “What was that for?”

“You’re on cleaning duty.” George deadpanned.

“What?”   
  


“Dream puked in his tent.” George tilted his head towards the said tent.

Sapnap gagged, “Why am  _ I _ cleaning that?”

“Because I’m tired and I had to deal with seeing it firsthand.” George snorted. “He’s sick by the way.”

“Of course he is,” Sapnap scoffed, ruffling his hair, “why else would he puke?”

“Maybe he got disgusted by you.” George snorted. “I’m going to make some stew for him.”

“You do that.” Sapnap snorted, pushing himself to stand up and leave the tent. 

He passed by the middle of their little camp to grab a bucket and some cloth from one of their satchels. He sighed and walked out the cave, looking for a nearby water source. He found a small waterfall sprouting from the face of a cliff and made his way there. He collected a bucket full of water and made his way back to the cave. He walked in, passed by George who was making stew, and went straight for Dream’s tent.

The moment he walked in, he saw Dream lurch to the side and puke. Sapnap closed his eyes and groaned. He carefully placed the bucket down and moved to stand by Dream, rubbing comforting circles around his back. He looked down at the puke and noticed how it had a slight pink tint to it.

“Healing potion?” Sapnap blinked.

Dream coughed, “Yeah, George let me drink some earlier.”

“Well, that’s a waste.” Sapnap drawled, looking at the sick mix of stomach fluid and potion. “At least not all of it is wasted.”

“Ugh, what makes you think so?” He sniffed, using the only sleeve of his hoodie to wipe his mouth. 

“The moment you swallow a healing potion it usually starts to take effect right away.” Sapnap shrugged, “I feel like you drank a little too much and the effects started and caused you to get vertigo and vomit and stuff.”

Dream groaned and fell back onto the bed, covering his eyes with his uninjured arm, “At least my arm doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”   
  


“There’s that.” Sapnap snorted, “George may not be an excellent healer but he’s better than both of us.” 

“True.” Dream rolled over, pulling the covers over himself. Sapnap narrowed his eyes and pulled the covers away. Dream yelped and glared at Sapnap with bleary eyes, “What was that for?”

“You shouldn’t do that. You’ll overheat.” Sapnap rolled his eyes as he moved back to the bucket. “Now, time for me to clean up your mess.”

“Awe, thank you, Sappy.” Dream cooed, curling up as he fell back to sleep. 

Sapnap shook his head and moved to clean up all the puke that littered the floors. While they could just move his tent to another place, he’s sure the taller male would rather just sleep straight instead of going through the trouble of changing tents. He finished cleaning up the mess and threw the wet and dirty rug towards the equally dirty bucket. He carried it and left the tent, seeing George stir the stew in the pot.

“How’s it going?” Sapnap passed him, moving to dump the water into some hole outside.

“It’s almost done, what happened with Dream?” George looked up, holding a bowl.

“He puked again.” Sapnap sighed, “You probably overdosed with the healing potion to cause him to vomit again.”

“Shit. That means he’ll need a lighter diet.” George slumped as he filled the wooden bowl with soup. “Surely he won’t puke this out, right?”

“Just tell him to take it easy.” Sapnap dumped the dirty water into a nearby hole and came back inside. “I’ll let him use this bucket for puke.”

“Yeah, good idea.” George nodded, standing up with the bowl and a spoon in hand. “I’ll go feed him.”

“Make sure not to end up kissing the idiot.” Sapnap called back. 

“Fuck off, Sapnap.” George laughed, pushing the tent flap aside. “Dream, time for breakfast.”

“I puked breakfast.” Dream grumbled, turning over.

“You’ll need to sit up.” George shook his head, moving a chest with his foot toward the bed. He sat on top of the chest and faced an already sitting up Dream. “Say, ah, Dreamie.”

Dream laughed, his voice sounding scratchy, “Ah.”

George snorted and shoved the spoon into his friend’s mouth. The blonde choked but swallowed. When the spoon left his mouth, he turned his head to the side to cough. George’s eyes widened and he reached out, “Wait, shit, sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Dream rasped, waving his hand. 

George sighed and continued to feed the sick Dream in front of him. When he finished, he stood up and looked down at the blonde male, “Just rest. We can stay in this cave for as long as possible if it means you can rest.”

“Fine.” Dream shook his head.

When his head hit the pillow, he smiled in contentment. He was glad he had such great friends. He turned over and curled up, shivering a bit.

  
_ Screw Sapnap for taking his blanket _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heehee, hope you enjoyed this uwu

**Author's Note:**

> WHUMP!! Heehee, comment and kudos are appreciated as always!!


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